


Candle Magick

by LilyHellsing



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen, magick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:35:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21553990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyHellsing/pseuds/LilyHellsing
Summary: Short story.I moved to the Monster Town because they were more welcoming than my own. But this isn't the first time I've met the Monsters before.
Relationships: grillby/reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

Today marked the full year since the Monsters appeared. Well, actually, it was a year and a day, unofficially. Officially, the world had “graciously acknowledged” the Monsters a year ago. Unofficially, my town and I had seen them first come out of the depths of the mountain. It took them nearly a day to get to “civilization” and be formally announced.

It felt like five years lived within one. It wasn’t just the Monsters, it was my own personal life. After all, the Monsters had started to build their own area in between my small town and the city nearby – they had to, for my small town was too small minded to mind them and the city was too dangerous for the sleazy section the elected officials offered to them. The world was shocked, to say the least. To say the most, there was such vicious and fierce fractions split between killing and keeping them that I was astonished that our species could manage to focus on anything but the Monsters.

But oh, did they…at least, my small minded small town did. Somehow in their small hearts, they managed to share their hatred and fear between more than just the Monsters. It must have been a great tax on their small minds and a strong work out for their small hearts because they managed to hate and fear more than the other species. They wanted to kill and be rid of more than just the goat-monsters, the water elements, the ghosts, the skeletons, the robots…they wanted to get rid of me.

It wasn’t just that they wanted me out of the town I had grown up in, it was that they wanted me gone. They didn’t want me there, they didn’t want me to exist, they didn’t want me to live and take breath within the same universe within a fifty mile distance from them.

Why? What possible crime could I have committed to create such a distain from the majority of my small town? Did I end someone’s life? Did I slash tires? Did I steal away a person’s livelihood? What unimaginable thing could I have done to make so many who had known and enjoyed me, if not simply tolerated me, turn their back to me?

I _knew_ the Monsters.

Or rather, I should say that I knew _of_ the Monsters.

Okay, no, it wasn’t just that. That was certainly the last straw for the townspeople, but it wasn’t the only thing. I was different before the Monsters came out to the surface. I had had dreams about it though. I had seen in my mind’s eye these creatures months before they came out…years, even. Fire, water, animals…all thing that should not, but did speak the human language. I dreamt them, I saw them, I drew them. Even when I was child, I drew these Monsters…as I grew, these drawings progressed into something more than a blur and scribble of colors. There was depth in them, feeling, details, and precision.

Up until the Monsters arrival, the towns people simply thought my drawings were that of an artistic nature. They thought my head lingered in the clouds, that I was a daydreamer. They thought my ‘dreams’ were just that. And even when my dreams extended past the monsters and involved towns people themselves, there was a hushed acceptance about this.

It was hypocritical at best, but the towns folk came to me when they were at their wits end. This came in form of more than just the love-struck girl or frantic housewife. Farmers came to ask about their upcoming crops, young men dared to ask in a whisper if they might be able to make it in the “Big City”, and old women and men inquired about the ending of the inheritance their unborn grandchildren would receive – given the state of the urbanization taking over rural lifestyle.

I was the town’s dirty secret because I knew things when I slept or when I stared off into the sky. I was the town’s dirty secret with an active imagination full of Monsters. They tolerated me because I offered coincidentally correct information – but they told themselves that maybe I had overheard the gossip from elsewhere about the young girl’s beau cheating on her, or had seen the housewife’s husband drinking an extra beer at the bar late at night. Maybe I just took stock of the news and had a great sentence of guessing the weather or the way things would change. Not that they could ever identify a time I was wrong, but it was that soft buffer, the Unknown, that kept me in their barely tolerable graces.  
But when the Monsters came?

Suddenly all the scribbles and sketches of weird dogs, large goats, scary fishes, giant teeth, and goopy creatures took a sinister tint to it. They were real. These things in my “imagination”, the imagination I had vocalized since I was six, was _real_. Was I in league with these creatures? If they were the devil, didn’t that make me the devil’s messenger, the devil’s spawn, the devil’s whore? Every and any title they could tack onto after the word ‘devil’, they threw, and every and any title added after made it more concrete in the towns’ eyes.

How did I know these Monsters existed? With the combination of my other gift to see and dream of other things – my ‘dirty secret’ – didn’t that confirm that I was evil? Well, maybe not ‘evil’ but…I was certainly different, and that proved it.

Different.

This small town can’t handle the word. To be odd, sure; to be weird, eh, yeah; to be different, hell no. Somehow it was the confirmed fact of the Monsters that made my candle lighting, color-orienting, herb growing, sun-praising, moon-dancing, dream-seeing, and card reading Different and, therefore, Evil. It only took one year for them to drive me out of that town.

I won’t go over the despicable things they did, but they had, at last, won. I packed up my things – clothes, candles, cards, what was left of my alter, and seeds from my garden that I’d be forced to leave behind – and left on the night of a New Moon. That was fitting, for a new moon meant new adventures, new beginnings. I dared to linger just a bit after the nightfall and perform a quick ritual to bless my journey.

A wish written on a bay leaf and burned along with a sprig of sage to gain protection and banish negative energy.

Rose thorns stuck into a newly ripe lemon to ward off any possible stalkers in my travels.

A sprig of rosemary entangled in my braid for wisdom.

I paused long enough to draw a card from my deck: The Fool. “Hmph.” I gave a scoffing noise. How fitting. A new journey, hope, naïve.

I murmured prayers to the god and goddess as I packed the last box in my car. It was one of protection, healing, and forgiveness for this town. Not that I felt particularly forgiving at that moment, but I was asking the god and goddess to aid me in that. This was the house I grew up in me, the house that my mother grew up in…the garden that we had worked so hard on, the memories I had always cherished. All of it, gone.

I had to start anew. Not in the city, for that was too big, but in the Monster Town. I wouldn’t be the first human to move there. Likewise to those that the city had chewed and spat out, I would be moving to the Monster Town in hopes of a soft start from a bad end. What would I do once I was there? How would I make money? Could I even find a place to stay? I left all of those worries at the feet of the god and goddess. Something would work out…it usually did.

By the time the clock struck eleven, I was gone. By the time it was one in the morning, I was in the Monster Town. It was amazing how swiftly they had built and raised buildings in the months they had been cast out of the city. It was, indeed, very magical. I spotted several buildings that looked like they had businesses at the bottom and homes on top. I saw a hotel, a store, and a restaurant. I thought for a moment, debating. One in the morning…it was a new day, had been for an hour. What better way to bring in the new day and make peace in a new city than to break bread with my new city folk, Monster or not?

Hoping this ‘Grillby’s’ had some comfort food for humans, I parked on the side of the road and got out. I winced as I stretched, looking around the dim street. There was just a single street light down this path. The air was crisp and clean, sharp but cool. It smelt and felt exactly like it did in the country – thank all that was good. I didn’t feel nervous about being out there at night by myself, Monsters or not, but I locked my doors just in case.

With a bit of hope and hunger gnawing at my stomach, I walked into Grillby’s.

Warmth. So much warmth. It wasn’t just the spiritual sort either, it literally was warm in the building. The light was soft and warm, but bright enough to see the place. It wasn’t the dingy, half-lit bar from my small town, nor was it the bright florescent light of some city dining hall. It felt like a pub rather than a bar or a hall.

The scent of alcohol and food hit me next. My stomach growled louder than before. If my entrance hadn’t caused a stir, surely I had gained the attention of some of the patrons by that noise. Ah, the betrayal of my own body. That was when I first noticed the patrons inside and they, me.

That warmth I felt initially evaporated instantly. A chill took over my body as I looked around, realizing that…that…so many of these monsters were ones I had dreamt and drawn about. It was a sobering realization, not one of fear, and after the shock passed, I adjusted and welcomed it.

I immediately felt comfortable and welcomed, as though I knew these creatures for all my life. In a way, I had. While my only proof and memory was as early as six years old, I was almost certain that I had seen these creatures in my dreams while in my mother’s womb. I smiled a little, my shoulders relaxing, and felt the warmth engulf me once more.

As I passed the dogs in armor, one dog of which was smoking what looked to be a bone-shaped treat, a monster with large teeth, and a sleeping bird, I felt at ease. It was surreal, sure, but doesn’t any dream once it’s reality? I sat at a bar stool and paused, staring openly at the bartender.

Orange. Orange and yellow and red. Vivid, bright colors…how did I not realize right away that this man was responsible for lighting the area? My lips must have parted in awe for when he closed the distance between us and nodded in a questioning manner, I was surprised to be able to inhale so sharply through my mouth. Keeping my jaw properly shut, I smiled and cleared my throat.

This man was familiar indeed. Although he looked quite spiffy in his coat and bowtie, I knew him from long, long ago. No, not just from the fires on the land or campfires. As a six year old, my artistic skill was limited and, if the box of drawings I had in my trunk was any indication, this fire monster was the first I had drawn…and frequently. After all, he was just an array of colors.

“Evening.” I greeted. “Or, morning, if you prefer.” The man inclined his head in what I assumed to be a response. It was only then that I realized he was wearing the square glasses my sixteen year old self had added in her sketchpad long ago. I had to take a deep breath to keep my excitement from spilling over. After all, it wouldn’t be good to scare my new towns people with my ‘I’ve known you’ speech.

“You have a fine place here.” I complemented honestly, once again in awe of how quickly it was all built. When the creature – man? – gave a slight bow of thanks, I felt my heart flutter a bit. “You…don’t speak.” It wasn’t a question, but still, he shook his head. His flames flickered, just like a candle would when moved. “Fair enough.” Unlike my small town, I could handle Different with ease.

“Could I…well.” I paused, thinking. I had no idea what this man served here. “I’m new in town,” _duh_ , “and I was thinking I might stop in for a drink and some food before I find a bed in this place. I’m hoping to move here, stay here I mean. I guess I should have thought to ask for a menu, but…whatever you had as comfort food to warm and welcome me on this chilly, auspicious night, I would greatly enjoy.”

I talked plenty enough to compensate for his silence.

The man gave a wave of his arm as if to welcome me. I smiled and thanked him softly. While he turned away to fulfill my oddly vague but specific order, I turned slightly on my bar stool and looked around, my back against the bar. Was I meant to be here? Of course I was – I was here, wasn’t I?

It just seemed…strange that I had dreamt and drawn and mused over these Monsters since the day I was born, if not earlier, only to wind up here now amongst them. Would they accept me? Just because I had unwittingly known of their existence before didn’t mean they would enjoy my company. But if not with these folk, then who would accept and like me?

I ran through my mind a mental catalogue of all the drawings I had ever sketched of each monster here. I had known of their appearance, but I knew nothing about their names or histories. Sure, I had mused and created my own – perhaps unwittingly accurate – but what if I was wrong? I didn’t actually _know_ these monsters, I just had known _of_ them before anyone else did. It made me feel a bit alone in my self-doubt and questioning.

Before I could mull over it any further, I heard a couple of clinks behind me. I turned my head before my body followed and saw that the bartender had placed a cup and plate before me. The smell hit me before I even saw it: chocolate and potato. I blinked and looked down. Hot cocoa with chocolate shavings and marshmallows in the mug and potato soup with all the fixings. My stomach growled once more. Comfort food indeed!

I smiled wide and picked up the utensils. “Thank you, Grillby!” The words flew from my mouth in my excitement. Grillby…well, it _was_ the name of the restaurant, I reasoned, but it had also been what I had called him in my drawings. If the man paused a little bit, perhaps in question, he did not pursue it. Instead, he gave a bow and stepped away to allow me to feast in peace.

Once the bowl and cup were empty, I sat back with a full stomach. I was full, content, and now sleepy. The warmth that Grillby gave off certainly didn’t help any. When he returned to clear away the plates, I thanked him again and offered my compliments to the chef. He gave a deeper bow.

I inhaled and exhaled slowly. There, I had broken bread, so to speak, with my new town. Now I needed to find a room in that hotel I had seen down the way. I figured a few nights there would be enough to find an apartment or house or something around here. Placing my elbow on the counter and my face on my hand, I watched Grillby tend to the others down the bar.

It would probably be wise to find out what sort of economy they had here. What jobs they had in excess and which jobs they needed bodies for. I wasn’t against the idea of having a roommate, but I did prefer to have my own room at least. I would need either an inflatable mattress or an apartment or house already furbished. I’d have to rent for sure.

It was odd. I had been here no more than an hour, but already I felt more…comfortable here than in my own small town. I could hear the low murmurings in the background of other bar folk, not all in English either. The warmth was so relaxing.

Before I knew it, I was being gently shaken awake. My shoulder was warm to the touch, as if I had just left a five minute hot-lava shower. I blinked rapidly and sat up, trying to process what was going on. Except…I wasn’t home. I had left it. I was in a bar – a Monster pub. Memory returned and I realized with a hint of embarrassment that I had drifted off at the bar.

“Oh, I never thought I’d be one of those to fall asleep at the bar…and all without a drop of alcohol too!” I could feel my cheeks warm once I realized why my shoulder had felt so hot: Grillby had had his hand on me.

The fire element in a bow tie gestured to the clock – three in the morning! – and then to the right. It wasn’t the door he gestured to, but the right wall. Oh, the hotel! He must have been gesturing to the hotel a few blocks down that I had seen. I sat up straight and winced at my muscles protesting against such a comfortable snooze in such an uncomfortable position.

“Yes, I think you’re onto something, Grillby. A bed would definitely be more appropriate.” I started to dig out my wallet from my pocket as I asked, “How much do I owe you?”

Grillby held up his hand and shook his head. I blinked, not catching on right away. “Huh? But, surely I can pay you something. I mean, I have money…unless you use a different currency?”

He shook his head twice and then paused, looking thoughtful – as thoughtful as fire could, I suppose. He seemed to settle on a way to communicate as he pulled out a pen and some of the napkins from the bar. The man wrote something before sliding it over to me, mindful not to touch me like before – shame.

_“Consider the comfort food as a welcome gift.”_

I couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. “Well thank you very much, kind sir.” I’d be jobless for a little bit and needed to save as much as I could. And who was I to turn down a gift? That would be rude. “Let me get out of your hair…flame.” If ever I was aware of the awkwardness of the human language and its comparisons, it was now. No doubt it wouldn’t be the last time. “I’m sure I’ll see you around, Grillby. Thank you again for your amazing service and welcome.”

As I started to slip out of my chair, he wrote something else on another napkin.

_“I am glad to provide. Sleep well.”_

Before I could reply, another barfly called him over. Grillby left the napkin messages there…so with an unconscious desire to possess them, I took the two and slipped them in my pocket. With that, the next goal in mind was a soft bed.

I hoped the bed would be half as warm as Grillby had been…


	2. Chapter 2

If I had thought the pub was welcoming, the Inn was like a second home. The innkeeper, Sunny Bunny, had been wide awake at 3 AM as if it were noon. It was surprising but nice. It helped that Sunny knew well enough not to talk my ear off as I had been half-asleep at her counter. The prices were reasonable and I paid in advance for three nights. Hopefully that would be enough to find a place.

The room was nearly entirely quiet except I was almost certain I could hear soft snoring through the walls. It was so soft, however, that it sounded more like background noise, a humming. The bed was so soft that once I had laid under the covers, still in my clothes, I was out immediately.

When I woke, I showered and dressed. The rosemary in my hair had gotten pretty beaten up in my sleep, but I held onto it. It was the last bit of my garden I had until I could grow a new one. I broke it into smaller pieces and slipped it into my hair sporadically. The scent was sharp and crisp in the air.

In proper clothes for the cool weather outside, I started to head out. Sunny caught me and informed me that her sister, another Bunny, was the storekeeper at the local store. If I mentioned I was staying at the inn, I’d get a discount. I thanked her greatly for that tidbit and started out, excited to see all those I had drawn before. Surely there would be more monsters out in the day than at one in the morning.

And no more than thirty seconds out on the street proved me right. There were dozens of monsters and, to my surprise, a few humans walking around. I spotted Grillby’s pub and involuntarily grinned. The sun was out and the wind was cool, the perfect combination. I blended in well enough to where few took a second glance and a few monsters even greeted me a good morning. They were enjoying the weather as much as I was.

Once at the store, I stocked up on food. It had been very nice of Grillby to not charge my meal, but I knew I couldn’t eat out every meal like that…no matter how delicious it was. So I stocked up on sandwich stuff, chips, fruits, and vegetables. I had decided to be risky and try some ‘sea tea’ and ‘water sausage’. I wondered what else they often ate in the mountain. Maybe I should write a journal of questions for when I made a friend here, to pelt them with without judgement or annoyance.

As I started towards the register, however, I noticed something lacking. There were few fresh herbs! Not only that, but I didn’t spy a single candle. I pursed my lips as I thought about that. Perhaps that would be a good way to make some extra money to tide me over until I obtained a proper job: candle making.

I had made candles in my small town as a side job, in addition to selling my garden when in excess. Given the weather, sometimes the electricity wasn’t quite as solid as one might hope. Functional taper candles and big candles were always a hot commodity. In addition to the secret questions people would whisper to me, to see if I had dreamt of anything or known anything, I also sold special candles under the table. They were meant to draw or banish love and friendship, to draw for prosperity, to attract positive energy, and maintain solid health. Really, they were candles I had made in a variety of colors – depending on the person’s need – and dressed with my own homegrown herbs. They were a very unique creation as each person’s need was different…yet mostly the same.

Roses attracted love and friendship. The color varied the type: red for love and lust, pink for friendship, yellow for health and happiness. Lavender helped with sleep and healing of the spirit and mind. Purple candles called forth prophetic dreams. Basil helped communication between pairs. Sage and cedar cleansed negative or unwanted energy while sweetgrass invited positivity forth. Black candles broke bad luck followed with white candles to invite positivity, light, healing, and blessings. Gold candles and mint invited prosperity. Blue candles offered protection along with rosemary, vervain, clove, and just a pinch of salt.

So many combinations, but so many people came with common concerns. I had made a variety of the most common in the hopes of selling and sell I did. I had only a box left of these. I’d have to make more. The herbs might be a bit challenging since I didn’t have any fresh, but dried would work just as well.

But…did Monsters have the same worries and concerns as humans did? Surely they did to some extent. Love, happiness, health, protection…weren’t these universal concerns and hopes? Before I could fathom further, I reached the register and smiled at the Eldest Bunny. “Good morning! How are you?”

This Bunny, like the other, had a big smile on her face too. It wasn’t as wide and her energy wasn’t quite as contagious as Sunny Bunny, but she was kind. Her smile was more of a calm than excitement. “Good morning. You’re a new face around here. We have a few of those running around once every couple months…” she started to ring up my items, “you passing through, stranger?”

I thought of the drawings I did of this monster and her sister when I was ten. I had even begged my parents to let me get a couple of bunnies as pets…and promptly set them free no more than ten days out. My parents weren’t so happy about that.

“Actually I’m hoping to move here. I’m staying at the Inn with your sister, Sunny, until I can find a place to rent. My name is…”

Before I could finish my introduction, the innkeeper exclaimed, “Oh yeah?! Sunny’s Inn is amazing. Do you like it? I’m glad you’re moving in – this town needs new people. Definitely helps to see the sun and sky and all, but without new folks, it feels sometimes that we never left the underground.”

I handed over some money and gave a soft chuckle. I hadn’t thought about that yet, their experience from the underground to now. Not entirely. “I love it – bed is soft, room is clean, and the water is hot.” Not as hot as Grillby’s touch had felt, but…

After a few more words, I thought I’d take a gamble. “Hey, I was wondering. I noticed you don’t have many candles around here for sale. Once I get settled in somewhere, I, uh, make candles. Candles just to see and keep warm, of course, but also some other candles…magick candles.” If there was a hint of sheepishness in my tone, I hoped it wouldn’t show. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of my work – I wasn’t – but as I said the words, I was suddenly keenly aware of the fact that I was speaking to a _magical monster_. What use did these people have to do with candles, magick or not? Was Grillby not a man of fire himself? Were these monsters not imbibed with magic already? Why would I make candles and ask to have a shelf in this person’s store?

Before I could try to think of a way to gracefully backtrack, the storekeeper’s eyes widened and her smile melted into an ‘o’ shape of surprise. “You have magick?!”

Was that shock or surprise in her tone? Was it malicious? My mind went into overdrive, sensitive as it was from the past year of discrimination and bullying at my small town. “I mean, perhaps ‘magick’ wasn’t the right word. I…” She looked at me with expectant anticipation. Feeling compelled to carry on, I tried again, “I make candles to help encourage what people might need. ‘Magick’ is the umbrella term that I figured most people would understand quickly,” and felt very stupid about saying it to a monster, I added mentally.

“What kind of candles?” Her brows furrowed a bit, but given that I was the only one in the store at that moment, I had her full attention.

Feeling my defenses slowly lower a bit, not detecting any bad intentions from her, I cleared my throat. “Well, for protection, for love, for prosperity, for happiness, for friendship, for…”

There it was again, that shock and surprise in her wide eyes. “You can make all of that happen?!” There was awe in her tone. I shifted on my feet a bit. Perhaps I didn’t approach this correctly.

“I mean, not ‘make’. I can’t promise it. There are so many other factors involved, the big one being the Universe. My candles, dressed with homegrown herbs – well, soon to be – assist in raising the chance of success. Of course it also requires the person who lights the candle to be meditating on the purpose, to have the goal, to actually want it.” The look she was giving me was…I had never seen it before. Fear, suspicion, and distrust, sure. Gratitude wrapped in selfishness and discreet unease, definitely. But…but she was looking at me with…awe. Pure awe, like I was a goddess in my own right.

The bell above the door rang, startling me. In walked other monsters. I took my two bags of groceries and offered a small smile. “I’ll come back and discuss specifics once I can prepare a few more. Please keep me in mind. Until then!” I slipped away. I needed to work on my sales pitch to Monsters.

~

There were not many Help Wanted signs around businesses here. Maybe they advertised differently? I didn’t see any For Rent signs either. I decided to pick up and browse through what I thought was a newspaper in the library – it was misspelled as ‘Librarby’ – but it was more of a crossword and puzzle than anything. I asked for the full newspaper – perhaps someone had left the fun things out – and the librarian handed me it.

I skimmed through the papers. There wasn’t much. In truth, it looked like the town was pretty self-sufficient. I shouldn’t have been surprised at this though. They had lived under a mountain for centuries with finite resources. I did see a house for rent though not too far away. No, job first, then house.

I started up and down the stores. I asked every store manager or owner if they needed a hand hired on. But…not to my surprise, but much to my disappointment, they all said No. It was small town – not as small as mine – but the demand just wasn’t enough to justify hiring someone else on even part-time.

Being told ‘No’ repeatedly all afternoon, no matter how kindly, wore me down. Was this a bad idea? Should I actually move to the city? At least there would be a waitress job or a night stocker or something. The sun was sinking and so was my sense of hope.


	3. Chapter 3

Snow. It had started to snow on the fifth night I was in the Monster Town. It was a light dusting, nothing excessive, and truthfully I would have missed it if I hadn’t been awake so late. Job hunting was heavily on my mind that night and I had resolved to perform a small ritual to ask for help. I was waiting for the moon to be up high, in the midst of waxing. Growth, learning, transformation, and increase in finances…this in combination with my prayers and candle burning should, hopefully, offer a strong lead for a job. With all the job hunting, I hadn’t been able to make any more candles either for much cash.

Bundled up for the weather, I took out a green taper candle – as much as I enjoyed the weather and moon, I also valued my sleep after the hunt and wanted the candle to burn quickly – and dressed it with olive oil, dried basil, bergamot, cinnamon, and then stuck it with three cloves. I prepped some chamomile tea in a thermo for my offering and had a bark of cedar to burn while the candle burned likewise. With a box of matches in my pocket, the offering in my bag, and the candle in hand, I nodded to myself. As one last effort, I decided to grab a scrap of paper and a gold colored gel pen. It couldn’t hurt, right?

It was well past the time anyone should be out and about. I tightened my scarf and headed out. It was best to perform under the moon itself and since the Inn didn’t have a balcony, I didn’t feel comfortable lighting candles in the room. I had seen a clearing not too far, like a playground. That would be perfect as I doubted anyone would be there for certain.

The walk was quiet and empty, save for me and the snow crunching beneath my boots. It was peaceful, that silence. I walked away from the lights and warmth and into the cool darkness. The park was empty, the playground equipment rather lacking, but it did have one street lamp not too far off. I stepped into the middle of the clearing and put my bag down, setting my items up.

Normally I would sit and meditate, ground myself but imagining power being drawn from the earth and into my body; however, that walk had calmed me and helped me focus enough. With a soft exhale, I prepared myself. I opened the thermos, noting with pleasure that some steam escaped, and did a quick clockwise circle, starting north. I sprinkled some of the chamomile tea at the north and spoke softly, “To the North, I make this offering to my ancestors.” I walked to the east. “To the East,” I sprinkled more of the tea, “I make this offering for magical beginnings.” I walked to the south and sprinkled more of the tea. “To the South, I make this offering so that my ideas may take form.” And lastly, I walked to the west and sprinkled more tea into the snow. “To the West, I make this offering to overcome any blockage.”

Taking a sip of the tea for myself – mostly because it was cold and I wanted the hot liquid – I set it down in the middle with my other items and did one final walk around the circle clockwise. “I cast this circle in perfect love and trust as a meeting between worlds.” A chill traveled down my spine. Worlds? Which ones now? Before, it was always implied this and the world beyond the veil. Now? It was the world of humans and Monsters. “May this boundary protect and hold my energy.”

I paused for a moment, listening to the silence of the snow falling. I turned back to my area and knelt. Taking out the paper and gold gel pen, I wrote my wish on it – ‘Steady way to make ends meet in a comfortable manner’. I blew on the paper softly three times.

I opened the match box and took out the three I had left, dropping them into my lap. I didn’t notice that they had slipped onto the ground. Placing the paper in the matchbox, I closed it and set up my green candle and took out the bit of cedar. I would burn the pair and, towards the end, I would allow the matchbox with my wish included be engulfed by flame.

Except…

I picked up the match from the snow-layered ground and tried to strike it.

Nothing.

I picked up the second, then the third, and…nothing.

The snow had dampened them just so.

A moment of panic hit me and I felt my breathing hitch. I couldn’t let any negative thoughts interfere, but I had no way to light the fires! I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. There had to be another way. No stores were open so I couldn’t buy matches. Did I have to wait another night? Maybe someone at the restaurants had a light? But to walk all the way back and break my circle, only to cast it again? It would eat up time. And it would…

_Crunch, crunch, crunch…_

I turned sharply, my breath catching. I had thought I was alone all this time! There was a mixture of surprise and a sliver of fear. I thought back to the last straw of my small town’s bullying that drove me to the Monster Town. Would this looky-loo cause the same fate to me? How did the Monsters feel about me practicing such things? Would they demand I leave? Would they laugh? Would they destroy what little I had left like the humans did?

All my fears and worries banished once I realized that it was…Grillby.

I blinked. He wore a dark gray overcoat, but I could see the hint of his red bow tie peeking out. His light radiated and lit up my area a bit more, as did his warmth. My numb body ached for more. I stood and parted my lips, but no words left. What would he do?

For a long moment, we just stared at each other. He had stopped just outside of where my footprints had been when I cast the circle. I cleared my throat and, as if suddenly recalling my voice, asked, “What are you doing out here so late?” There was an edge of unease to it and I hated myself. I hated that my reaction, which was completely normal given the recent past of just a week or two ago, was one of hesitation and fear.

Grillby inclined his head as if to asked me the same question. His head turned slightly and his glasses shifted. I had to resist the urge to step before my candle and items. I swallowed hard. “I…I’m having a difficult time obtaining a job. It’s…you may think it’s silly, but I…I wanted to perform a small…ritual. I wanted to ask for the chance for a job from the Universe, from the god and goddess. It’s…I don’t…”

Grillby didn’t move. He stayed just outside of the circle. He burned just a little brighter. He dug into his pocket and took out a notepad and pen. On it, he wrote, _“Magick?”_

I shivered. Slowly, I nodded. I recalled the Storekeeper Bunny’s reaction of awe and hoped that Grillby’s would be the same, instead of anger or worse. How odd that these two should have such reactions to it. Weren’t they themselves magical?

The next thing he wrote made my breath catch. _“I thought the magick died out in humans long ago.”_

I shifted my weight to my other foot and toyed with my scarf. “I’m…not sure about that,” I admitted, “but what I do know is that…my great-grandmother all the way to me, we have…abilities.” Did I dare tell him the truth? How much more could he be weirded out now if I was upfront about it all? “I can see things sometimes, like in my mind’s eye, in a daydream. I can dream it too. Some…mixtures, potions, I make help. Candles, dressed up candles for certain things. The cards are usually spot-on when I draw them. And…” Grillby didn’t move so I took that as encouragement, “…I have dreamt of you since I was a child.”

His glasses shifted down a bit, as if his eyes widened, and his flames grew brighter. My own cheeks warmed despite the cold air. Quickly, I tried to clarify. “I mean, not only you, but others. Everyone else. All the other Monsters. I dreamt of you all, drew you even when I was six…my artwork has gotten better – I have proof. I knew you all existed before everyone else did. I don’t know why, but…yeah.”

Grillby seemed to be thinking. I let him. I wanted desperately to step closer to his warmth, but resisted. He was processing the information, that was something. Finally after a minute or two, he wrote in his notepad. _“May I come in?”_

My own eyes widened then. He meant into the circle! “But how…?” I blushed deeper. “Did you see me cast it?” I thought and added, “You know what it is?” I didn’t understand.

 _“I did. I saw you leave main street and I was concerned. My apologies.”_ He turned the page after I read it and added, _“I have seen such circles cast before.”_

“Before?” I raised a brow.

_“Before the humans cast us underground.”_

Another chill shot down my spine – that had to be hundreds of hundreds of years ago! I hugged myself for warmth. “I see.” I wasn’t sure if it was a matter of respect that he asked or if it would genuinely break the circle’s intent if he just waltzed in. I stepped forward and pointed my finger out, drawing a sort of door for him to enter through. When I stepped back, he entered. I smiled a bit, feeling my face heat further. “We need to discuss magick soon.”

 _“Back at my place.”_ He agreed. Then he nodded towards my sad candle which had managed to gain a few snowflakes on it.

I felt stupid. “The matches I had got wet in the snow…I can’t light the cedar or candle.”

I could feel his eyes on me for a moment. Then he stepped forward and reached out. His fingertips went over the edge of the cedar and then that of the wick of the candle. Just like that, the items were lit! I gasped. “That’s amazing!”

Grillby bowed and stepped back slightly. It seemed that he was back to being an audience member, someone to just watch. I knelt before the candle and cedar and murmured a prayer of gratitude and thanks. When I was done, I stared at the flames for a moment longer. Something about monster magic, about fire made from a fire man, seemed…so pure.

I looked up at him as he towered over me. “Thank you so much for saving my night. It may take a couple of hours to burn…you can leave if you want, I’m sure you’re tired from work all day.”

Grillby didn’t move, not at first. Finally he carefully knelt beside me and inclined his head in question. I was immediately grateful as his warmth radiated and engulfed me. I smiled softly and nodded. “I’d love for you to stay.” The words left me without hesitation. I felt…comfortable. I felt secure, far more by his presence than of any ritual. I turned back to the candle and settled into the easy silence with the fire man.


End file.
